WRC recommends €2,232.36 for worker kept on unpaid leave during visa renewal

The Workplace Relations Commission directed an employer to pay a worker €2,232.36 gross in lost wages after keeping him on unpaid leave while his visa renewal was processed. The decision was dated 22 March 2016. The worker said he had supplied evidence of his visa application and payment but was kept from paid work. The employer said it needed proof that the application was being processed and that the bank draft was unclear. The adjudication officer found the worker should have been allowed to keep working while his status was checked. The employer was also directed to treat 1 to 24 March 2015 as time at work for other purposes, including holiday pay.